Australian fined for artifact theft

By far, this got the most hits in terms of news, probably because someone from the first world was actually convicted. In short, an Australian holidaying in Cambodia was arrested and eventually fined for possessing and buying three stones taken from the Angkor Wat and Bayon temples.

8 – 11 October 2006 (Various news sources, see below) – By far, this got the most hits in terms of news, probably because someone from the first world was actually convicted. In short, an Australian holidaying in Cambodia was arrested and eventually fined for possessing and buying three stones taken from the Angkor Wat and Bayon temples. The stones weighed a total of 30 kg. Eventually he was found guilty of possession, but convinced the court that he was not a trafficker of antiqities but a tourist who didn’t know better and was slapped with a nominal fine. The moral of the story? Don’t buy stones or pieces of buildings from locals. Not only are they illegal, they also help fuel an illicit trade. Next time, get a t-shirt like everbody else.

Here are the news reports as they appeared in chronological order (ok, roughly so).